After You Were Gone has a premise that isn't entirely unique - a missing child is fruitful grounds for fictional exploration. But this is not just a book about the aftermath of losing a child. From the first chapters, we discover the protagonist, Abbie, is not simply a grieving mother - she is also the target of someone seeking to destroy her with the promise of answers.

Despite having rebuilt her life after her daughter Sarah was taken from her, Abbie is plagued by her guilt and anxiety about what happened on that fateful day six years ago. Now, newly married and finally with some semblance of normalcy to her existence, she starts receiving phone calls from an unknown caller. He claims to know what happened to Sarah - but he won't give up that information without Abbie complying with his every order, and the tasks he sets her are designed to destroy her marriage, her home, and her life.

After You Were Gone is a pacey and engaging thriller, with the twists and turns you expect from the genre, but enough originality that you won't predict the ending. While it's a plot-driven book, the characters are well-developed and rich in detail. Halfway between literary and crime fiction, this is a book that will satisfy readers seeking an "easy" read that still has good writing and depth.

While Abbie's actions seem extreme at times, and there are aspects of her family relationships which feel a little contrived, Vicki Wakefield (pictured) creates a good balance of tension and investment in her characters, keeping the reader hooked until the end.

My only gripe is that the book closes on what feels like just the beginning of the story, leaving us to draw our own conclusions just as we're starting to get some answers. Just one additional chapter to tie up loose threads would have been welcome to provide a more satisfying end to the read. This is one for the beach or a long flight when you need something entertaining to sink your teeth into.